Aid ships of the Global Sumud Flotilla prepare for potential interception by Israeli occupying forces as they approach the ‘high-risk zone’ of the eastern Mediterranean.
Two of the flotilla’s vessels, Jeannot III and Estrella, are expected to be intercepted by the Israeli occupying army “either tonight or tomorrow,” according to activists on board.
Activists are saying that the humanitarian mission to deliver aid to Gaza and break the blockade on Gaza could face military intervention by Israel within hours.
“We are about 200 miles from the Gaza Strip, so two or three days of sailing. We are in the middle of international waters between Greece and Turkey. Most likely, tonight or tomorrow, we will be intercepted by the Israeli army,” said Yassine Lafram, an Italian activist onboard the Karma vessel.
Despite the impending dangers of possible interception, the activists remained determined to see the mission through and “break the siege imposed on the entire Gaza Strip.”
Lafram described any action of military interception as “an act of piracy, a kidnapping that violates every rule of international law.”
Global Sumud Flotilla
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The Global Sumud Flotilla is made up of around 50 ships, with over 500 activists onboard. It set sail earlier this month with the goal of delivering much-needed humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, to the Gaza Strip.
This is the first time in the 18 years of Israel’s blockade on Gaza that such a large fleet has approached the enclave, home to about 2.4 million Palestinians.
Three navy warships are also accompanying the flotilla from Spain, Italy and Greece.
The Flotilla has now reached a critical point of tension as onlookers from around the world wait to see what happens next.
Last week, the flotilla reported that nine of its ships were attacked by Israeli drone strikes, causing serious material damage to the vessels.
Sumud Flotilla organiser rejects Israeli threats
Nabil al-Shannoufi, a member of the Maghreb (North African) branch of the Global Sumud Flotilla, described the situation and the strong will of the activists aboard the ship Deir Yassin to Anadolu Agency.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said on Tuesday that the military is preparing to intercept the convoy and tow the vessels to Ashdod Port in southern Israel.
Shannoufi said that despite the nearing approach to the “red zones”, where Israeli vessels await, the morale of the activists is rising and strengthening.
He said that Israel should be prepared to receive “the largest humanitarian flotilla in modern history”, both in terms of number of ships and activists aboard.
The Greek, Spanish and Italian vessels are only accompanying the flotilla up to 12 nautical miles from Gaza’s waters – after that, “we’ll be on our own,” said Shannoufi.
The organiser acknowledged the fragile diplomatic nature of its accompanying war vessels. Activists know that the Greek, Spanish, and Italian vessels will not provide direct protection.
However, he added that any attack could very well trigger a diplomatic crisis, particularly with Spain.
Israel has proposed for the flotilla to unload its aid at Ashdod Port in Ashkelon in exchange for halting the voyage.
The drone strikes on the flotilla vessels last week began “even before we reached Greece”, said Shannoufi.
The attempted attacks on the ships had failed, and Israel was forced to “step back to reconsider scenarios”. Israel also remained silent following the attacks, after previous threats to block the convoy.
Shannoufi concluded with three messages on behalf of the flotilla:
- The first was that grassroots mobilisation is more powerful than one may think – “popular pressure worldwide can put far more pressure on Israel,” he said.
- The second message was directed to Arabs and Muslims in particular: “We see Western societies protesting more actively. Yes, political circumstances in Arab countries are difficult, but that doesn’t justify inaction,” arguing that the collective power of 450 million Arabs and two billion Muslims could put an end to this.
- The last message was to the Gazans, who have expressed excitement and anticipation for their arrival.
He added: “They know we don’t carry massive amounts of aid,” he said. “What they await is the breaking of the blockade and the embrace of people from around the world after years of isolation. We long to see and hug you. We are with you and won’t abandon Gaza again.”
The occupying Israeli army tightened its siege and blockade on Gaza after March 2, when it closed all border crossings and blocked the entrance of vital aid.
Since then, a global humanitarian disaster has ensued, with a famine being declared by the UN, and over 66,000 Palestinians killed by Israel since October 7, 2023..
The Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest citizen-led humanitarian flotilla mission ever to have set sail to Gaza.
From world-renowned activists like Greta Thunberg, to clerics, religious figures, lawyers, doctors, students, Muslims, Jewish and Christian alike, only time will tell if the flotilla will reach the shores of Gaza.
